Blackened Heart
by irohsstinkysandal
Summary: Hermione finds herself entangled in a mess that wasn't hers but slowly became her first priority. She is stuck between her heart and her duty. Will she be able to set aside what's easy for what's right?


**A/N: Okay guys here is a new fic that popped into my head. I've been doing this thing called peer plotting, it's when you and a fellow group of writers get together and plan plots of stories, so I have a basic idea about what will happen in this story. I hope I can get it to come out well enough. **

**Chapter I**

"Ministry Field Operative?" Hermione Granger tested the word out. She bit her bottom lip as her eyebrows furrowed together. "Is that sort of like being a spy?" The woman was seated inside a lavish office with plenty of decorations especially certificates and awards adorning the walls, and shelves. Although it was crowded with all of these it did not look cluttered or cramped. Instead it was roomy, warm, and beautiful in all aspects. It was the minister of magic's office in which Miss Granger was seated. The cream walls and the honey colored laminate flooring created a warm and cozy atmosphere. In the center of the room there was a nice honey stained wood desk with a self updating desk calendar placed upon in and a thicket of files on one corner as well as a telephone line to connect to the muggle prime minister in the other corner. There was a single file in the middle placed directly in front of the minister labeled top secret.

"Yes, it is exactly that! You'll basically be taking on real life missions and be an undercover agent for the ministry. For example if we think something is shady then we'll have you go check it out. You don't have to decide now, take a couple days to think it over and then let me know your final decision." Kingsley Shacklebolt leaned back in his comfortably black leather chair smiling at the female before him. Hermione looked up with her doe eyes and lifted the corner of her mouth into a half smile.

"Brilliant, I will do just that. Is that all?"

Kingsley seemed to ponder this and answered after a moment, "Yes, you may go." Hermione got up and turned to leave.

"I'll see you later Kingsley."

"Yeah okay, you give that offer some thought Hermione!" He called after her retreating form.

Hermione walked down the hall in the ministry to her small cubicle in the corner. She sat down in her uncomfortable chair and continued the paperwork she was forced to do every day of her boring life. She sighed, her thoughts wandering back to the new job offer she was given today. Suddenly she felt a pair of calloused hands cover her eyelids.

"Hey there gorgeous," A husky voice whispered into her ear, "when are you going to leave Weasley for me, eh?" Hermione's face broke out into a grin.

"Blaise, you know I'm a one man girl," She chuckled. Blaise worked in the auror department therefore he met Hermione quite often with all the paperwork that he needed done. She had at first been skeptical as he was a former slytherin, but he had quickly won her over. They had become great friends and were getting closer by the minute.

"Right," he said before removing his hands from her face, "and that one man would be me. " Hermione merely shook her head at his boldness. "Anyways," he continued, "what did the King want?"

She smiled at Blaise's special nickname for Kingsley and responded, "He just gave me a new job offer."

"Can you tell me what this new job is?"

"Unfortunately, no," Hermione replied in a flat tone with a hint of a smirk appearing upon her perfect face.

"That's all too bad…hey I was wondering if you had time to catch an early lunch with me?"

"Oh," Hermione looked down at her paperwork, "now? But I have all this paperwork!"

"Forget that, come on…" Blaise whined.

"Oh alright!" Hermione turned to the thick stacks of files scattered on top of her desk. She picked them all up and put them into the cabinet labeled 'Incomplete'. Then she stood up straightening her short black skirt and adjusting her emerald satin blouse before slipping into her coat and grabbing her purse. She turned to see Blaise leaning against the wall with an amused smirk crossing his lips.

"Let's go," Hermione said before continuing on into the hallway picking up the pace, with her high heels click-clacking on the tiles. "Where exactly are we having lunch?"

"Oh, um I'm thinking the little Italian place on the—"

"Giovanni's?"

"Yeah, I'm in the mood for Italian," Blaise grinned sheepishly.

"O- Kaaay, that's fine, I didn't really care anyways." Blaise and Hermione walked comfortably to the apparation point in the ministry. Hermione linked her arm with Blaise's, and they apparated to a deserted street a block away from the restaurant. As soon as they reached the street Hermione slipped her arm out of Blaise's and the walked the short distance to Giovanni's in compatible silence. The soft spring breeze blew through and a single beautiful curl escaped from her bun. It gently brushed against her creamy skin, framing her face quite beautifully. Hermione being so quickly irritated brushed it back and tucked it behind her ear. Blaise began whistling some random tune to keep himself upbeat. She rolled her eyes and reached forward grabbing the metal handle of the door and pulled it open. They made their way to a small table in the corner of the room.

"So…Blaise, what's the reason that you just _had _to catch an early lunch with me?"

"What? I can't just happen to want to have lunch with a fantastically talented, beautiful witch, who just so happens to be a friend of mine?" Blaise asked cheekily.

"Stop with the flattery and tell me the real reason because that doesn't work on me." Hermione gave him a look that simply said, 'do you think I'm stupid?'

"I apologize for speaking the truth, did I add that this friend of mine is obnoxiously always right and annoyingly insightful?"

"No, I do believe you did not and stop stalling!"

Blaise sighed, "Fine, I'll tell you. Well I needed to ask you something…"

"What?" Hermione asked her tone reeking annoyance and slight desperation.

"You have to promise to keep yourself openminded…" Blaise trailed off.

"Fine…but it can't be that bad. Can it?"

"I want you to meet someone. He doesn't really have many friends anymore and he kind of needs help but he won't admit that he does. He won't go to anyone, and I know that if he doesn't get the help he needs, he'll get himself into deep trouble." Blaise frowned deeply which concerned Hermione because in all her time of knowing Blaise she had never seen him frown as so for so long.

"Blaise….are you alright…what kind….what kind of _trouble _are you talking about? Who is this guy?" Hermione couldn't help the concern and fear which showed so clearly through her words.

"Hermione…I can't say. I wasn't even supposed to tell you this or come to you, but I know he needs help. You think this over if you are up for this challenge please let me know. Please help me, help him..." Blaise looked so down right now that Hermione couldn't help but feel terrible for him. It was her damned maternal instincts kicking in.

"Blaise…..I'll help him….I'll do it."

"Thank you so much Hermione, you don't know how much this means! To me and to him, even though he won't admit it. I'll explain more later in a better place for now do not tell anyone about this conversation."

"What if someone was spying on us?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Don't worry that's taken care of. I casted a silencing charm so no one overheard us."

"Oh good!" Hermione smiled relieved. "Don't worry Blaise, he'll get out of this. If there is something I'm good at…it's always keeping at things until I win. And no one would know better than you." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "Oh shoot, I have to get back to work. I'll see you later Blaise." She got up and pressed her lips against his cheek before hurrying back to the apparation point.

Hermione was nearly done her work. It was nearing time to go home…to Ron. She groaned. Something had happened between her and Ron. She had no idea what exactly it was but it just didn't feel right with him. She couldn't understand anything. She finished the last line for the paperwork she had to do for that day. Stretching her arms out she flexed her fingers and stood up and walked around to get back the feeling in her legs since she had been sitting for so long. Ever since lunch all she could thing of is Blaise's friend and her new job offer. It seemed that she couldn't think of anything else. She sighed and lifted the last stack of files and went and placed it into the completed bin. She slipped back into her coat and lifted her purse onto her shoulder before walking into the hallway. Halfway down the hallway she fell into step with George Weasley

"Oh hello, George what are you doing here?"

"Hermione! It's been awhile…far too long! I was here to get a new product tested and stamped as good to sell."

"That's fantastic!"

"Thanks…so, just as a warning, Ron is—"

"George-Hermione!" Hermione and George turn around to see Ron at the other end of the hall running to catch up to the two of them.

"Ron, hey, I thought you got off an hour later?" Hermione asked surprised.

"I do, I just got a break…" George smiled easily at Ron before taking his leave.

"Alright, it's been nice chatting with you Mi. Hey don't become a stranger eh? Write me sometime or drop in the shop will you?"

"Of course, see you around George."

"Nice to see you getting some exercise Ron," George said in his form of a farewell to his younger brother.

"Yeah nice to see you could finally drag your arse here, George!" Ron joked. George smiled a sad smile at me before walking off.

Hermione stared at his retreating form and sighed happily, "I'm glad he's finally bringing himself into the world again."

"I know," Ron said, "Look Herms, I have something important to tell you when we get home tonight so I was wondering if you would be able to have dinner with me at LaBelle?" Hermione frowned to herself and wondered what was so important that they had to discuss it over dinner at one of the fanciest restaurants in town.

"Sure Ron, I kind of have something to tell you as well…" She trailed off as Kingsley's proposition came to mind.

"Brilliant then!" Ron smiled hurrying off as his cell phone rang. Hermione sighed; deciding in a split second that she wanted some coffee. She walked out onto the busy street and continued down quite a few blocks to her favorite coffee shop. She went in to find it filled to the brim with people. The only spare seat in the room was in the far corner where someone sat reading a newspaper his face hidden. Hermione walked up to the counter and ordered her usual and then sauntered to the open seat.

"Hey, uh excuse me…" Hermione tried to interrupt the man's reading as politely as possible.

"Yes?" The person asked a hint of annoyance evident in his voice not caring to put his paper down to face her.

"May I sit here? There aren't anymore seats in the café."

"Sure, but there is one condition," the man answered.

"And what might that be?" Hermione asked haughtily.

"That I can ask you a few questions on behalf of the Prophet…" Hermione grimaced as the man put his paper down and pulled out a piece of parchment. In a mere second, she replaced the frown with a fake smile.

"Sure," she replied as the waitress brought her, her cup of coffee. She lifted the iced caramel latte to her lips, and took a sip smiling at the delicious flavor overtaking her tastebuds.

"Alright so—" the wizard began, but before he could continue any further another man walked up to the two.

"Hermione, finally do you know how long I've been waiting?" A familiar voice said. Hermione looked up into the incredibly handsome face of Draco Malfoy. Her eyes widened as she stared up at him. He gave her a look that said 'go along with it.'

"Oh I'm sorry, I got held up…" She trailed off a little hesitant due to the fact that she was acting friendly…with the ferret. It was a little unnerving to say the least.

"It's fine, I didn't mind all that much. Let's go, we can't miss our reservations…" he smiled down at her. Her heart skipped a beat and she was now thoroughly scared. She stood up and took the arm her offered her as he apparated out of the shop. She felt the familiar twisting of her stomach that came from apparation, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Once she reopened her eyes and looked around, she realized that Malfoy had taken her to her muggle home. She pulled her arm away from him and looked up at his sneering face. A grimace placed itself on her face as she continued to look at him.

"What the hell was that about Malfoy?" she hissed.

He lost his sneer for a moment as a look of uncertainty passed his sharp features, but as soon as it came it was gone. Once again the blank Malfoy Mask returned. "Well, I _thought_ I was being courteous when I saved you from that reporter who was most likely to hound you."

"I-I….thank you…." Hermione stared at him with a look of incredulity quite evident on her face. She watched as he smirked, clearly pleased with himself.

"Bye Granger." All of a sudden Malfoy apparated away leaving Hermione to her raging thoughts.

_Why did he save me from a reporter? Did he really mean to save me from a reporter? Why the hell did he even care? How did he know that I was talking to a reporter? Was he spying on me?_

All of these questions flooded her brain and exhausted her. She had no answers. Hermione didn't like having no answers.

**A/N: Okay, so how was that? Did you like it? Did it meet you standards? Okay so I have midterms coming up, so I don't expect to have a chapter up anytime soon. Neither should you guys…I'm sorry for that. I hope to at least be able to have the chapter up in two weeks... or less. Wish me luck. Leave a review below please! (gives puppy dog eyes to the readers)**


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